UN keen on credible Lanka investigation

Colombo, Mar 22: The UN has said it remains committed to ensuring a credible investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka during the final phase of the civil war that ended seven years ago.

Deputy spokesman for UN Secretary General, Farhan Haq was responding to a question yesterday in New York at a press briefing.

The question related to recent comments made by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena that he was not in agreement in having international judges for the local probe process for war crimes and human rights accountability.

The UN Human Rights Council resolution of 2014 which blamed both sides - the government and the LTTE - for war crimes, had prescribed an international investigation.

The UNHRC chief in his last report to the council had also insisted on foreign judges, questioning the credibility of the Sri Lankan judiciary to deliver justice.

"UN Human Rights Council can evaluate how it is going, but we want to make sure there is a credible investigation into this," Haq said adding that the UN had made it clear to Sri Lanka what their guidelines were for a credible investigation.

PTI